News Article
Published
Oct 21, 2026 at 01:42 PM EDT
Ben Johnson has never faced Drake Maye from the opposing sideline, but he already sounds wary of what the quarterback can do.
The Chicago Bears head coach broke down Maye’s game at his Oct. 20 press conference, ahead of hosting the New England Patriots on Oct. 22, according to a transcript distributed by the team.
His breakdown started with the arm and ended with the legs.
“Well, it’s a dangerous combination of a guy that’s an elite deep ball thrower along with, he can crush you with his legs. I think that combination is deadly,” Johnson said.
That threat has grown lately, in his view. “It’s really picked up steam over these last three games,” he said, adding that New England is “putting up points in bunches right now.”
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels got a share of the credit. “[Patriots OC] Josh McDaniels does a great job just making sure he puts those guys in the right spots,” Johnson said.
Even a thinned-out offensive line, Johnson argued, wouldn’t stop McDaniels from playing to the strengths of everyone else on the field.
Maye’s season got off to a bumpy start. The turnaround has come over the past three games, and his two most recent outings have been his sharpest.
Week 5 brought 374 passing yards and four touchdowns versus the Las Vegas Raiders. He then put up 235 yards and three TDs when New England beat the New York Jets in its latest game.
Seven touchdown passes across those two games tends to get a coach’s attention.
For the season, Maye has hit on 63.9% of his attempts for 1,463 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has added 185 rushing yards and a score.
Johnson’s defense gets its first live look at that dual threat when the Patriots visit Chicago on Oct. 22.